David and Dory, the preteen twins the Maestro adopted, have always been a bit different from their peers. Well, maybe a lot different. While most kids their age would be excited to watch the Super Bowl while visiting the States, the twins had a soft spot for something a bit furrier and fluffier: the Kitten Bowl. So, when their new dad decided to bring them to visit his girlfriend McKay Moonlight at her Gramps and Gran’s sprawling ranch in Wyoming, the twins made sure to pack their favorite jerseys—not for football, but for the Fantastic Feline League — jerseys their Mama Bee had given them.
The afternoon of the Superbowl was chilly and snowy outdoors when David and Dory settled into the cozy ranch living room, the fireplace crackling warmly and their two large cats glaring at the screen. (Somehow, the twins had talked the Maestro into flying their cats across the Atlantic with them. What a softy!) Arabella, the fluffy black cat with a penchant for mischief, and Gerard, the rotund orange tabby with a lazy streak, were sprawled on the rug in front of the television. The twins could hardly contain excitement as the Kitten Bowl’s opening credits rolled.
As the kittens on the wide-screen TV began tumbling over each other, chasing balls of yarn and batting at each other’s tails, the twins’ giant cats decided to join in the fun in their own unique ways. Arabella, ever the troublemaker, leaped onto the coffee table, knocking over a bowl of popcorn. The twins giggled as kernels scattered across the floor, Gerard lazily flicking a paw at one that rolled too close.
“Look at Arabella!” David chortled, pointing as the black cat swatted at a mound of popcorn with a mischievous glint in her eye. Arabella’s antics weren’t just confined to the popcorn, though. She soon turned her attention to the television screen, batting at the kittens as if trying to join the game herself.
“Gerard, you’re missing out!” Dory called, trying to coax the lazy orange tabby into action. Gerard, however, was not easily motivated. He watched Arabella’s antics with a half-open eye, clearly unimpressed.
But the true hilarity began when the kittens on the screen started a chase scene. Fully engrossed, Arabella pounced at the screen, only to slip on one of Nana’s crocheted doilies in front of the big screen and tumble ungracefully to the floor as if in slow motion. Simultaneously, David lunged for the short vase that had been sitting atop the doily. He caught it before it hit the floor, but he couldn’t stop the tea roses his uncle had given McKay and the water from within from splashing into his hair. Dory laughed so hard she nearly fell off the couch as she gurgled, “It’s supposed to be the Superbowl, not the Rose Bowl, David!”
Not to be outdone, Gerard decided it was finally time to make his move. With the grace of a not-so-svelte ballerina, he lumbered onto the couch and plopped himself beside Dory, his eyes fixed on the screen. The kittens were now chasing each other through miniature goalposts, and Arabella seemed to think she could do better. She reached out a massive paw and swatted at the screen, causing the twins to erupt in fresh peals of laughter.
McKay and the Maestro followed the sound of the twin’s laughter from the kitchen into the living room. The Maestro drew to a halt when he saw the spilled popcorn and the roses he had given his sweetheart in his son’s hair, down his back and on the floor. “What in the world is going on!”
“Arabella is a natural!” Dory exclaimed, clapping her hands in delight. David was practically in tears from laughing as the black cat recovered from her fall and joined Gerard on the couch, both cats now fully absorbed in the feline football frenzy.
“I think all of you are naturals,” the Maestro said sarcastically, “Naturals at being clowns.” However, there was a twinkle in his eyes. “You better have this cleaned up before McKay’s grandparents wake up from their Sunday afternoon nap.”
“We will,” the twins chorused.
As the Kitten Bowl continued, the twins and their cats became an inseparable team. They cheered on their favorite kittens and occasionally participated in their own version of the game. Arabella and Gerard provided endless entertainment, their antics perfectly complementing the chaos on the screen.
By the time the Kitten Bowl concluded, the living room was a mess of popcorn, tea roses, cat toys, and laughter. David and Dory could hardly believe how much fun they’d had, all thanks to their two mischievous cats and a litter of kittens on the TV. Nana and Gramps joined them before the twins finished cleaning, but they were good sports and helped them tidy up. Then, Gran went to the kitchen to make some cowboy cookies for them.
As the fireplace crackled and the twins settled down for the night, Dory turned to David with a grin. “Who needs the Super Bowl when we’ve got the Kitten Bowl and Gerard and Arabella?” she said.
David nodded in agreement, scratching Arabella behind the ears. “Exactly. This was the best game day ever.”
And so, at a ranch in Wyoming, far from the roaring crowds of a football stadium, David and Dory found joy in the simple pleasures of feline frolics, proving that sometimes, the best games are the ones played at home with those we love—furry friends included.
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